Permitting a Climate Week Excursion

Friends,

Today is Yom Kippur, so for those fasting, I hope you have a great fast and are ready to enjoy the New Year. We are headed for New York this week for the UN General Assembly meetings and climate week activities.  

There are so many events going on that you can only hope to attend a few because there are not enough hours in the day, or enough clones of ourselves to get to them all. As I arrive in NYC this morning, I will be attending a Chamber COP 32 preview breakfast, Oceantic offshore wind event, the ClearPath-API forum and some Axios House events. Tomorrow, I head to a PuroEarth-Gevo event on carbon trading, A visit to Bloomberg and BCSE Bracewell event with DOE loan official Julie Kozeracki. Then Wednesday, the NYT’s Climate Forward forum and nuclear events that are at the NY Bar/Roosevelt Island with Cameco and others. On Thursday, the Nuclear event continues and Semafor’s Tim McDonnell hosts his annual Climate Week happy hour (I likely will miss this because I have to return to DC Wednesday evening). So many more events out there, we have a master list. Please feel free to reach out and I can forward – and let me know if you will be there and what events you are attending.

The President starts the week in NY for the UN General Assembly meetings with his speech tomorrow. He also holds bilaterals with the leaders of the UK and Japan, and will meet with Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez. I know DOE officials will be in New York throughout the week with Alex Fitzsimmons adding to the list. The President returns to Washington on Wednesday for Chinese President Xi’s arrival. Expect a Rose Garden military review, formal bilateral talks and an evening state dinner. 

And why am I headed back to DC: potential permitting movement. Yes, as reported by many outlets (but particularly POLITICO’s Josh Siegel), and in the lobbying rumor mill, it seems we may see permitting language early this week for potential late-breaking action in the US Senate. Again, I remain “guardedly skeptical” but this effort feels much more substantive and real for a number of factors that I would be happy to discuss. Our friends at 535 are doing tons of Interviews (including this great forum last week) with key members, so check out their coverage.

The Senate Environment Committee will look at nuclear waste issues on Wednesday, looking at DOE’s new state-focused disposal program.. Experts will talk Yucca Mountain, reinstating the Nuclear Waste Fund and authorizing DOE to negotiate with states over potential sites.

With politics and the mid-terms now clearly on the agenda/horizon, the House didn’t even make it through last week before heading to the exits after passing ratepayer affordability legislation 417-3. It looks like Senate leader John Thune may have schedule space for that, as well as holding out time for the potential permit discussion, but we shall be how that plays out.  

After my NPR visit last Sunday on data centers, I was again busy this past week with all the Clean Energy Week action; a visit to Julie Mason’s Sirius XM P.O.T.U.S. show (with guest host Elliott Williams) to talk energy, gas prices, diesel, offshore wind and UN-NY Climate week prep and finally, the long-anticipated Volts Podcast with David Roberts landed late Friday. Check them out. 

Finally, we received some sad news late last week hearing that climate advocate and Clinton-era Energy Department official Joe Romm died unexpectedly at his home in DC. Romm had been serving as senior research fellow for the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media.

See you in NYC or in the permit debate. Call with questions.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“The completion of Revolution Wind is an important milestone for Rhode Island, Connecticut, and the broader New England region. As electricity demand continues to grow, the region needs more generation that can strengthen reliability, diversify the power supply, and provide greater certainty for consumers.”

Hillary Bright, executive director of offshore wind advocacy group Turn Forward in a statement on completing construction on its Revolution Wind project.

ON THE PODCAST

THE Volts Podcast is HERE!!! – On Saturday, Volts David Roberts posted our podcast visit where we discuss energy politics inside Washington.  We get into the current lay of the land in energy, who has power and how much, how power is exercised, who’s going to win the data center fights, what Trump hath wrought, and where things are going next.

API Sommers Talks Energy, Permitting on Ruthless – In a visit to the Ruthless podcast, API Head Mike Sommers joined the team at the Republican Mid-term Convention in Dallas to talk about Energy dominance, permitting and the impacts of the Iran conflict.

FUN OPINIONS

NatGas Leaders: Permitting Reform is Essential – In an op-ed in the Washington Examiner, AGA CEO Karen Harbert, IPAA CEO Edith Naegele, INGAA CEO Amy Andryszak, NGSA CEO Dena Wiggins and API exec Dustin Meyer write stakeholders who rarely agree on energy policy are finding common ground around a simple and urgent idea: America needs to build, and permitting reform has emerged as a shared priority and an essential action needed to meet today’s infrastructure, energy, manufacturing, and housing needs.

FROG BLOG

Sommers: Diesel Export Ban is Bad Policy – In an X post, API CEO Mike Sommers writes while Americans are hurting from high diesel prices, restricting U.S. diesel exports would make the problem worse, not better — for consumers, farmers and the broader U.S. economy. Without access to global buyers, Gulf Coast storage could fill quickly, forcing refineries to cut runs. And refineries don’t just make diesel — lower refinery runs could mean less gasoline and jet fuel, too. The answer to high diesel prices is more supply and flexibility — not restrictions that could reduce it.

FUN FACTS

Crude Oil Jumps: Our energy analyst friend Paul Sankey notes a key point from refining expert Tom Kloza saying that a product export ban would cause US refiners to rapidly turn down supply. The turn down actually raises the cost of refined products. It would also give them a window to maintain refineries that are way overdue for turnarounds. They both expect a very heavy season of refining turnaround in 2027.

IN THE NEWS

Revolution Offshore Wind Completes Construction – Orsted’s  $6.2 billion Revolution Wind farm has installed its 65^th and final turbine. The project has been producing carbon-free power for Rhode Island and Connecticut since March, but at partial output. It will be able to deliver up to its full 704-megawatt capacity ​“later this year,” per one of its developers, the beleaguered Danish energy giant Ørsted.

“The completion of Revolution Wind is an important milestone for Rhode Island, Connecticut, and the broader New England region,” said Hillary Bright, executive director of offshore wind advocacy group Turn Forward in a Thursday statement. ​“As electricity demand continues to grow, the region needs more generation that can strengthen reliability, diversify the power supply, and provide greater certainty for consumers.”

Lighthouse Institute Launches – A nonpartisan think tank, the Lighthouse Energy Institute (LEI) launched last week, saying it will be dedicated to improving energy policy at the state and federal levels. Lighthouse Energy Institute will offer its fellows’ expertise on a nonpartisan basis to help improve energy policy with a market focus. LEI’s mission is to provide information that improves the quality of E&E institutions and policies. LEI will achieve this by conducting honest, robust research and education. Three principles drive our position formation:

Competitive Markets: Private property rights-based markets are an engine of economic development, innovation, and human flourishing. Energy competition is suppressed by decades of policy interventions, which warrants market liberalization to improve social welfare (i.e., fix government failure). If the conditions of a competitive market are not met (i.e., market failures like externalities, natural monopolies, and public goods), it may warrant limited government intervention to improve social welfare.

Limited Government: Quality public policy limits government intervention to instruments that remedy persistent market failures (i.e., those that do not self-correct). Policy interventions that weigh government failure and pass rigorous reviews are more likely to improve social welfare. Limited, effective government requires quality institutions.

Quality Institutions: ]Effective, trusted government requires public institutions that uphold the rule of law, retain mission integrity, and are transparent, accountable, capable, and efficient. Effective public service requires a professional, merit-based workforce that maintains legitimacy through strong performance and stakeholder responsiveness.

Our friends Nick Loris and David Hill are among the great list of experts that will partner with the Institute.

Wright: Affordability, Reliability are Top Energy Policy Goals – Energy Secretary Chris Wright outlined the Trump administration’s energy policy priorities as focusing on affordability and reliability for American consumers and also discussed challenges in refilling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, noting that refining capacity is a bigger issue than crude supply. In a fireside chat at a Daily Caller event, he criticized policies that retire coal plants or restrict fossil-fuel infrastructure, arguing such measures reduce flexibility and leave the country vulnerable to supply disruptions. Wright emphasized that energy policy should avoid favoring any single energy source as inherently superior and pointed to rising demand from sectors like data centers and manufacturing as further reason for a pragmatic, balanced approach.

Poll Finds American Voters Want More Renewable Energy – A new survey conducted by Republican pollster Alex Lundry on behalf of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) Forum and Centerline Liberties found that nearly three-fourths (71%) of American voters say making renewable energy a bigger part of the country’s energy supply is the right move, with a clear majority (58%) of voters saying they are more likely to support a federal candidate that strongly supports renewables. A polling memo detailing the survey’s key findings and methodology can be found here. The survey explores the most critical issues facing Americans. The data reveals that renewable energy receives broad bipartisan support, especially solar (79% favorable) and wind (74%) which win majority favorability from Republicans (+62 and +47), Independents (+73 and +51) and Democrats (+89 and +84) alike.

Topline numbers include: 

• Voters express clear preferences for renewables across many questions: 
  • 71% say making renewable energy a bigger part of the country’s energy supply is the right direction for the country, including 68% of Republicans
    • Only 14% believe it to be the wrong direction 
  • A clear 58% majority are more likely to support a federal candidate that strongly supports renewables  
  • Solar and wind are the most favored energy sources of all the ones tested at 79% and 74% favor, respectively
    • This includes strong support among Republicans, with 70% favoring solar power and 64% favoring wind power 
  • Natural gas is close behind at 71% favorable 
  • 41% believe that America should build more wind and solar and use less oil, natural gas and coal, while 42% say we should use all energy options
    • Only 16% want more oil, natural gas and coal, along with less wind 
• Nearly everyone is facing higher energy bills: 
  • 70% say they have gone up in the past year
  • 32% say they have gone up “a lot” in the past year 
  • Only 4% say they have gone down in the past year 
• Permitting Reform: 
  • Asked a straightforward question about whether it should be easier or harder to permit, site and build energy projects:
    • 40% of the plurality said easier
    • 24% said harder 
    • 35% said about the same 
• Broad skepticism surrounds data centers: 
  • Looking specifically at data centers, 40% would support the construction of one in their local area, while 60% oppose it
    • These numbers remain unchanged among those specifically told these would be for AI
  • A hefty 62% of voters believe that a public vote of local residents should have the most say in whether a large data center is built in their community  
  • Only 36% place a great deal or fair amount of trust in tech companies’ pledges that they will not raise electricity bills 
• Worry about AI has risen meaningfully over the last three months: 
  • While the number of people hopeful about how AI could improve their own daily life has remained steady at 62% 
  • Those worried about how AI could be misused or cause harm has grown 8 percentage points since June, rising to 84% who are a great deal or somewhat concerned

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

Climate NYC Week – Climate Week NYC 2026 is set for September 21^st to 25^th. The event features a multitude of activities and forums address climate, decarb, innovation, clean energy and much more. ClearPath and API host their usual Monday event while Bracewell hosts two events jointly with the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and another with Gevo. We have a comprehensive list of events if you are interested. Here are some highlights:

• Chamber – This morning the Chamber hosts its COP 32 breakfast which will preview the upcoming COP meeting In Turkey.

• Axios House – Today to Wednesday, Axios will be hosting Axios House at Climate Week. The events will convene the leaders behind the most consequential decisions on energy, climate and global affairs, covering topics including AI, energy security, climate goals and geopolitical competition, culminating in how those topics are converging at a moment when the decisions made by governments and business leaders will shape the global economy for decades. A requested invitation is required to attend with an address given upon acceptance. Request an invitation at https://axioshouse-climateweekunga-interest.splashthat.com/

• Offshore Wind – E3G and Oceantic Network hold an exclusive, nonpartisan roundtable with the Center for Strategic & International Studies, Indeximate and Marsh exploring how emerging European security frameworks and U.S. policy shifts alter private sector risk modeling, providing actionable intelligence for insurers, developers, and government stakeholders alike.

• Biofuels Food Transportation Forum – The Business Council for International Understanding, along with Bracewell and the US Grains Council hosts a panel discussion on building the low-Carbon bioeconomy with food, fuel and transportation. Our colleague Tim Urban speaks.

• API-ClearPath – Today, the American Petroleum Institute and ClearPath will host the Carbon Innovation Forum, a celebration of America’s tradition of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. The forum will discuss present-day industrial demand fueled by AI, data center growth, and continued emphasis on the need for lower-carbon energy, and how those factors are creating a once-in-a-generation opportunity for American companies to deploy reliable, affordable, lower-emissions technologies at scale. The forum will also address how to translate demand into lasting American advantage by innovating faster, building at-scale, and competing globally. Interested attendees request an invitation at https://clearpath.org/the-carbon-innovation-forum/

• Gevo, Puro Earth – Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., Gevo will host a candid conversation titled Building a 2030 Carbon Portfolio That Delivers, discussing how buyers, intermediaries, and developers are approaching the next phase of the carbon market. Attendees will hear insights from a panel of experts, including keynote speaker Paul Bloom, CEO of Gevo, and Puro Earth President Jan-Willem Bode, uncovering how their market success in CDR reached scale and what it will take for others to follow suit. The event will conclude in a networking session. Registration is currently full, but interested attendees may join the waitlist https://luma.com/37xuyt54

• Bracewell Nuclear New York – Tomorrow at 3:30 p.m., Bracewell and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) will host Powering America’s Future: Innovation, Investment and Meeting Rising Energy Demand. The event will feature a fireside chat with Dee Martin, chair of Bracewell’s Policy Resolution Group, as well as a panel discussion with industry leaders. The forum will culminate with a networking reception, where speakers will share practitioner-level views on investment flows into the U.S. energy transition and how these flows are affected by changes in the policy and market landscape. Interested attendees should register at https://info.bracewell.com/38/3058/landing-pages/rsvp-blank—bcse.asp

• Dynamo-Orsted – Tomorrow, Dynamo-Orsted will host the Energy Transition Summit. The event will feature candid conversations with C-suite executives from major energy companies, top financial institutions, and innovative startups. The program will explore the most pressing challenges and emerging opportunities across geopolitics, supply and demand, technology and innovation, and capital markets—paired with curated networking throughout the day. The event is invite only. Interested attendees should reach out to [email protected].

• CERES – Today at 1:00 p.m. CERES will present The Business Case for Investing in Resilient Agriculture. The workshop will provide clarity to companies and their investors on the role in supporting producers to adopt more sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices to enable an industry-wide transformation against the worsening impacts of a warming planet. Participants will explore ways to quantify the return on investment by identifying areas of opportunity and risk through case studies and peer engagement. Interested attendees can register at https://luma.com/ceres-cwnyc26

• New York Times Climate Forward – On Wednesday at The Times Center, the New York Times will host Climate Forward, an all-day event featuring industry leaders, changemakers, and experts including U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, President and C.E.O. of TerraPower Chris Levesque, and activist Erin Brockovich. Attendees will have a firsthand view of Times journalists questioning panelists on who will lead the race to build new energy sources and what powering our future means for an already warming world. Doors open at 8 AM with the mainstage interviews beginning at 9 AM. The Changemaker Lunch scheduled at 1 PM will allow attendees to directly connect with climate innovators and leaders. The event will conclude at 5 PM. Registration is currently full, however interested attendees may RSVP for the livestream at https://nytimesevents.com/climateforwardlivestream26

• Bloomberg Green Summit – Tomorrow and Wednesday, Bloomberg will host Bloomberg Green—a two-day series of panels and events featuring industry leaders, policymakers, and climate innovators to explore the next steps in the transition to a more resilient and future-ready world. Powered by Bloomberg’s editorial coverage and data-driven insights, the events will examine how climate intersects with the forces shaping the future, including technology, the economy, policy, and community. The program begins at 5 PM on Tuesday, September 22, with the Bloomberg Green Opening Night Program, followed by a networking reception. On Wednesday, September 23, registration and a networking breakfast begin at 9 AM, followed by the Bloomberg Green Morning Program from 10 AM to noon and a two-hour lunch session. The afternoon program begins at 2 PM and concludes with a final networking session at 4 PM. The event is currently full, but interested applicants may join the waitlist at https://events.bloomberglive.com/event/bloomberg-green-new-york-2026/waitlist

• AC Nuclear Power Summit Set For NYC – On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and during Climate Week, the Atlantic Council holds its Nuclear Energy Policy Summit 2026 tomorrow and Wednesday.  The Summit will address novel partnerships in the public and private sectors that will be crucial to funding and implementing new nuclear projects; the efforts of first-mover US states to deploy next-generation nuclear technologies; the role of nuclear energy in meeting increased global energy demand; and the nexus between domestic nuclear energy deployment and a robust civil nuclear export program. Tons of good speakers.

• Nuclear Conference – The Nuclear Symposium 2026 takes place on September 23–24, 2026, as part of Climate Week NYC, with its main full-day conference hosted at the Cornell Tech – Verizon Executive Education Center on Roosevelt Island, New York City. Speakers include NYSERDA President/CEO Doreen Harris, NY PSC Chair Rory Christian, NY ISO CEO Rich Dewey and DOE’s Julie Kozeracki. Our friend Alexander Kaufman of Heatmap interviews Dewey.

• Semafor Thursday Reporters Happy Hour – On Thursday, Semafor’s Tim McDonnell hosts his annual Climate Week happy hour

Agri-Pulse Forum Set for KC – The Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City and Agri-Pulse hold the 12^th annual Ag Outlook Forum today and tomorrow in Kansas City at the Marriott Downtown. The event includes Fireside chats with former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture Mike Johanns and Dan Glickman. The Ag Outlook Forum brings together leaders from agriculture, government, finance, policy, and agribusiness to examine the issues shaping today’s agricultural landscape.

ACP to Host Storage Event – ACP will hold a forum about the future of energy storage at RECHARGE26 tomorrow to Thursday in Aurora, CO, just outside Denver. The U.S. energy storage market is entering a period of significant opportunity—and uncertainty. This session will examine the policy, economic, technology, and demand-side factors that could shape market growth in the years ahead.

Forum Looks at AI with Exelon CEO – The Atlantic Council holds a virtual discussion tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. on AI’s impact on the energy sector. The discussion will be with Calvin Butler, president and CEO of Exelon, and explore how AI development is reshaping the power grid, the key policy tools that can accelerate the buildout of the energy system, and the mutually reinforcing relationship between AI and the energy system.

ELI Looks at Biofuels – The Environmental Law Institute holds a virtual discussion tomorrow at Noon on biofuels and the latest developments and policy considerations. Speakers will explain biofuel supply chains, carbon accounting, and the role of biofuels in decarbonization. After that, speakers will provide an overview of the current state of biofuel policy before addressing related topics, such as feedstock sources, life-cycle assessments, carbon insetting and offsetting, capital investment cycles, future decarbonization pathways, and more.

Forum Looks at Grid Modernization – On Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., Advanced Energy United holds a virtual discussion on the policies behind Illinois’ success in passing one of the most significant state energy policy packages in the country—the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act—and how other policymakers and industry leaders can adapt these lessons to advance similar reforms in their own states.

Forum Looks at Power Integration, Decentralization –The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research holds a virtual discussion on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. looking at vertical Integration or decentralization of the electric power sector. The event features a presentation by former FERC Chair Mark Christie, followed by observations and a discussion by a panel comprising Noel Black of Algonquin Power & Utilities Corporation, Kevin Blake of the FERC, American Public Power Association Former President Joy Ditto, and the Lighthouse Energy Institute’s Devin Hartman.

Forum Looks at Iran Conflict, Oil – The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace holds a virtual discussion on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. looking at the oil and the Iran conflict. Helima Croft, managing director and global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, is featured for a wide-ranging conversation about the geopolitics and economics of the Iran war and its impact on global oil supply, on the next Carnegie Connects.  

Senate Environment Looks at Nuclear Waste – The Senate Environment Committee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on updating America’s nuclear waste management policy.

Forum Looks at Suncor Boulder Case – On Wednesday at Noon, Covering Climate Now holds a briefing on “Suncor v. Boulder” and the climate showdown at the Supreme Court.

Atlantic Council Awards Set – The 2026 Atlantic Council Global Citizen Awards will be held on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. The  event honors world leaders, diplomats, the C-Suite, and the philanthropic, social, and entertainment communities to celebrate the highest expression of global citizenship. Held on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, this special evening underscores the Atlantic Council’s critical mission to shape the global future together, while recognizing the accomplishments of key global citizens seeking to improve the state of the world.

Bracewell Expert Speaks at Maritime Fuels Conference – The Argus Sustainable Marine Fuels Conference will be head in Houston, Texas on Wednesday to Friday bringing together stakeholders from across the marine fuels and bunkering value chain to address the practical realities of decarbonization in the North America market. The conference will examine viable near‑term fuel options alongside emerging supply chains, port and bunkering infrastructure readiness, the role of charterers and cargo owners, and the regulatory and policy developments shaping investment decisions. Bracewell’s Tim Urban speaks.

Critical Minerals Forum Set For CO – The 5^th annual Payne Institute Critical Minerals Symposium will be held on Thursday and Friday at Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO. Critical minerals are now a top tier business, technological and political priority in the United States and globally. The event will focus on the complexities and opportunities related to the future of Critical Minerals than this one at Mines.

CSIS Looks at US, Japan – The Center for Strategic and International Studies holds an event on Thursday at 9:00 a.m. focused on ensuring economic and energy security opportunities for U.S.-Japan leadership. Experts will analyze these pressing economic and energy security challenges and to discuss opportunities for the United States and Japan to play a leadership role in addressing these problems at home and abroad.

USEA Looks at New DOE Office – The US States Energy Association holds a discussion on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. addressing priorities of DOE’s new Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office.

Forum Looks El Nino Process Impacts – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute holds a virtual briefing on Friday at Noon on the environmental and economic impacts of Super El Niño. This briefing will examine the meteorological causes and anticipated impacts of Super El Niño, including flooding, droughts, extreme heat, wildfires, and severe winter storms.

IN THE FUTURE

NOAA, DOE Officials Headline C3 Energy Summit – C3 holds its second annual American Energy Summit on Monday September 28^th at the Planet Word Museum.  The event will explore the people, policies, technologies, and capital shaping the future of American energy security. NOAA’s Laura Grimm and DOE’s Katie Jereza will speak. 

RFF Series Looks Financial Sector – On Thursday, October 1^st, Resources for the Future (RFF) holds a webinar describing the impact of climate change on small and large banks, insurance providers, investors, and asset managers. The panelists will discuss cross-sectoral spillovers, as well as policy implications for supervision, regulation, and disclosure. This webinar is the final in a three-part webinar series, “The Economic and Financial Impact of Climate Change.”

SCOTUS to Take Up Suncor-Boulder Climate Case – The landmark climate change case Suncor Energy Inc. v. County Commissioners of Boulder County is scheduled for oral argument before the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) on Monday, October 5^th. The court officially setting Suncor as the very first case to kick off the new 2026–2027 Supreme Court term.

Environmental Markets Association Meeting set for Annapolis – The Environmental Markets Association holds its 30^th Annual Meeting in Annapolis on October 5^th to 7^th. EMA’s event covers the carbon markets, RECs, emerging instruments reshaping sustainable commerce and much more.